FRESNO, Calif. — Despite controlling the tempo for the majority of the night, Azusa Pacific couldn't hold off a late charge from Fresno Pacific, falling 68-64 to the Sunbirds at the Special Events Center on Tuesday night.

The Cougars (5-8, 3-5 PacWest) led for nearly 27 minutes of the contest and held a double-digit lead in the first half. However, a struggling performance at the charity stripe, where the Cougars shot just 38.1% (8-of-21) allowing the Sunbirds to stay within striking distance before they eventually pulled ahead in the closing minutes.

Azusa Pacific maintained a slim 37-36 lead at the intermission. The second half featured a back-and-forth battle with 12 lead changes and eight ties. Fresno Pacific finally seized momentum in the final minutes, capitalizing on a 44-28 advantage in points in the paint and outscoring the Cougars 32-27 in the second frame to secure the victory.

It will look to regroup and find more consistency at the line as they continue their PacWest road slate.